Wireless communications networks of various kinds are known in the art. In some cases, as with some wireless sensor node networks, the network comprises a severely resource-constrained wireless network. In some cases, such constraints may comprise hardware resource constraints. Such a network can comprise, for example, a plurality of wireless sensor nodes that are low power devices having only a very small portable power source (such as a 1.5 volt battery having no more than, say, 1800 milliamphours of capacity and only a very limited amount of outbound payload memory (such as, for example, no more than a few bytes, such as, for example, 128 bytes of storage capacity). Such a device will typically have a relatively brief operational life before, for example, the onboard power supply becomes depleted. This operational life, however, will be even briefer if such reserves are frequently expended in favor of frequently transmitting data in order to keep space in the outbound payload memory available to receive and store new data.
In some cases, such resource constraints comprise a constraint as corresponds to system resources. For example, a severely resource-constrained wireless network may also feature severe constraints with respect to available effective bandwidth (be that available carrier frequencies, time slots, spreading codes, or the like). Such constraints can be rendered worse when seeking to accommodate a network such as a wireless sensor network that may conceivably feature hundreds or even thousands of sensors that all need access to such resources in order to convey their payloads. In such a case, it can be literally impossible to permit each and every node to transmit when and as they require in order to maintain their own platform resources (such as battery power and buffer memory) at some individually optimum level of usage.
Typical prior art approaches address and resolve such system-based resource constraints using a dynamic bandwidth allocation approach that is independent of the aforementioned hardware resource constraints. This approach in fact works well in numerous application settings and hence has prompted little in the way of fundamental change in this regard. It is the applicant's observation, however, that such an approach can lead to over-provisioning of resources in wireless nodes in a severely resource-constrained wireless network with bandwidth resources which, while lending an appearance of satisfactory operation in the sense of fostering a retrieval of node-sourced data, nevertheless tends to strap one or more platform-based resources in a manner that is ultimately detrimental to the overall operation of the system.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions and/or relative positioning of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of various embodiments of the present invention. Also, common but well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are often not depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments of the present invention. It will further be appreciated that certain actions and/or steps may be described or depicted in a particular order of occurrence while those skilled in the art will understand that such specificity with respect to sequence is not actually required. It will also be understood that the terms and expressions used herein have the ordinary meaning as is accorded to such terms and expressions with respect to their corresponding respective areas of inquiry and study except where specific meanings have otherwise been set forth herein.